Slides in this set

Slide 1

Mental illnessIn 2007 self and zealey carried out a survey for the department of health and found that about 1 in 6 British people aged 16-74 reported experiencing a neurotic disorder (self diagnosed) such as anxiety and depression during the week before they completed the questionnaire.Sociology is split between 2 different approaches with regard to mental illness should be defined. The 2 approaches are social realism and social constructionism.…read more

Slide 2

The social realist approach to mental illnessInfluenced by the biomedical modelBelieve that mental illness is caused by the physical body such as due to the result of brain damage, genetic factors etc or as the result of external factors that damage mental development such as poor diet and alcohol and drug abuseBelieve symptoms of mental illness can be scientifically diagnosed and categorised like physical diseasesMental health practitioners such as psychiatrists suggest there are over 350 psychiatric categories or conditions of mental health that have been diagnosed as problematic human behaviour such conditions include anorexia, psychosis and bipolar disorder.Social realists say mental illnesses can be cured just as physical illnesses such as through drugsSocial realists believe people with mental health problems should be isolated from wider society in secure mental health institutions such as asylums…read more

Slide 3

Social constructionism approach (social action theory) approach to mental illnessBelieve there is a relationship between mental illness and power inequalitiesBelieve definitions of mental health and illness are problematic because they are problematic as they are socially constructed (a product of the social interactions between different groups)Say some groups have the power to define or label the behaviour of less powerful groups in society as a problemWhat is considered `normal' varies over time and from society to society. For example homosexuality was viewed as a mental illness in the UK as recently as the 1960s.…read more

Slide 4

The labelling perspectiveLabelling theory is part of the social constructionist approach they believe mental illness is socially constructed because of `labels' that are given to people.Labelling theory examines how the labelling of behaviour as `mental illness' occurs in the 1st place and what effects it has on those who are labelled.Szasz- says the label `mental illness' is simply a convenient way to deal with behaviour that those in power find disruptive. He notes psychiatrists seem to medacalise social life where behaviour that can be interpreted as normal are now given labels that imply someone is suffering from a mental health problem such as alcoholism. Psychiatrists have the power to define problematic behaviour of children as a product of mental illness. He points out that children were once defined as being `naughty' but recently they have been classed as having ADHD and been put on the drug Ritalin.Scheff- says that whether someone becomes labelled or not as mentally ill is determined by the benefits that others may gain from labelling that person as mentally ill. People who are a nuisance, deviant, or prevent others from doing things they want such as Rastafarians are far more likely to be defined as being mentally ill.…read more

Slide 5

The consequences of being defined as mentally illLabelling theory points out that once a person has been labelled `mentally ill' there are a number of negative consequences for the person and some may argue they are given the `master status' of being mentally ill.Rosenhan (1973) ­ carried out a study using 8 `normal' researchers In the early 1970s in the USA, each of the researchers volunteered to enter the institutions after complaining they were hearing voices. Rosenhan told them to behave completely normally at all times during their stay at the asylum however all the researchers were treated as if they were truly mentally ill interpreting all their behaviour as a sign of their `mental illness'. For example Rosenhan told one researcher to write down everything he saw and experienced therefore he kept writing all of the time. The doctors interpreted him as having `writing behaviour' which was seen as a sign of his illness. Rosenham later redid his study in another psychiatric hospital with different researchers however doctors were told that they would be receiving some pseudo patients who were just pretending to be ill. In this study staff routinely judged people who were genuinely ill as just pretending showing that even the experts could not decide who was actually ill.Katz- supports Rosenhan's findings. He carried out an experiment showing groups of American and British psychiatrists films of interviews with patients and asked them to note down what they saw in the patients behaviour as symptoms of mental illness. They were then asked to make a diagnosis. Katz discovered that there were major differences in diagnosis between the British and Americans as the British saw less evidence of mental illness generally. For example 1 patient was diagnosed by 1/3 of American psychiatrists as schizophrenic but by none of the British.Both rosenhan and Katz's studies illustrated that mental illness is a label created by society and is socially constructed.…read more

Slide 6

The mental institute as a total institutionIn 1968 goffman took on a job at an American mental institution as an assistant athletic director and used his position to carry out participant observation observing how the labelling of the mentally ill affected them and their interactions between doctors and nurses. Goffmans research was mainly covert as the majority of staff and patients had no idea he was conducting research. In his research goffman found that asylums are total institutions which aim to shape the personality of patients by taking away their sense of self which goffman called `mortification of self' as the patients were let with little personal possessions and clothing and disciplined by staff. Goffman says that the inmates were treated like children as they had to follow a specific timetable and had to be told when to eat and bathe. The self image that the patient had before such as being funny or intelligent is stripped away leaving them vulnerable. Goffman says the total institution re-constructs the self or personality of the patients by rewarding and punishing them. In this powerless situation any attempts to reject the label of being mentally ill are interpreted as further signs of the mental illness and indicate the need for extra medication or counselling. In fact goffman found that the institutions believed that the first sign of recovery was accepting the role of being mentally ill. Goffman sais that many of the patients became institutionalised as they became over dependent on the routines of the institution and could not survive in the outside world.…read more

Slide 7

Slide 8

Slide 9

Slide 10

Comments

A great summary of mental illness which identifies key concepts and ideas as well as as theorists and criticism. This is a dense but extremely useful resources which can be converted into a format to suit anyone's learning style.

A great summary of mental illness which identifies key concepts and ideas as well as as theorists and criticism. This is a dense but extremely useful resources which can be converted into a format to suit anyone's learning style.

Mental illness

Slides in this set

Slide 1

Mental illnessIn 2007 self and zealey carried out a survey for the department of health and found that about 1 in 6 British people aged 16-74 reported experiencing a neurotic disorder (self diagnosed) such as anxiety and depression during the week before they completed the questionnaire.Sociology is split between 2 different approaches with regard to mental illness should be defined. The 2 approaches are social realism and social constructionism.…read more

Slide 2

The social realist approach to mental illnessInfluenced by the biomedical modelBelieve that mental illness is caused by the physical body such as due to the result of brain damage, genetic factors etc or as the result of external factors that damage mental development such as poor diet and alcohol and drug abuseBelieve symptoms of mental illness can be scientifically diagnosed and categorised like physical diseasesMental health practitioners such as psychiatrists suggest there are over 350 psychiatric categories or conditions of mental health that have been diagnosed as problematic human behaviour such conditions include anorexia, psychosis and bipolar disorder.Social realists say mental illnesses can be cured just as physical illnesses such as through drugsSocial realists believe people with mental health problems should be isolated from wider society in secure mental health institutions such as asylums…read more

Slide 3

Social constructionism approach (social action theory) approach to mental illnessBelieve there is a relationship between mental illness and power inequalitiesBelieve definitions of mental health and illness are problematic because they are problematic as they are socially constructed (a product of the social interactions between different groups)Say some groups have the power to define or label the behaviour of less powerful groups in society as a problemWhat is considered `normal' varies over time and from society to society. For example homosexuality was viewed as a mental illness in the UK as recently as the 1960s.…read more

Slide 4

The labelling perspectiveLabelling theory is part of the social constructionist approach they believe mental illness is socially constructed because of `labels' that are given to people.Labelling theory examines how the labelling of behaviour as `mental illness' occurs in the 1st place and what effects it has on those who are labelled.Szasz- says the label `mental illness' is simply a convenient way to deal with behaviour that those in power find disruptive. He notes psychiatrists seem to medacalise social life where behaviour that can be interpreted as normal are now given labels that imply someone is suffering from a mental health problem such as alcoholism. Psychiatrists have the power to define problematic behaviour of children as a product of mental illness. He points out that children were once defined as being `naughty' but recently they have been classed as having ADHD and been put on the drug Ritalin.Scheff- says that whether someone becomes labelled or not as mentally ill is determined by the benefits that others may gain from labelling that person as mentally ill. People who are a nuisance, deviant, or prevent others from doing things they want such as Rastafarians are far more likely to be defined as being mentally ill.…read more

Slide 5

The consequences of being defined as mentally illLabelling theory points out that once a person has been labelled `mentally ill' there are a number of negative consequences for the person and some may argue they are given the `master status' of being mentally ill.Rosenhan (1973) ­ carried out a study using 8 `normal' researchers In the early 1970s in the USA, each of the researchers volunteered to enter the institutions after complaining they were hearing voices. Rosenhan told them to behave completely normally at all times during their stay at the asylum however all the researchers were treated as if they were truly mentally ill interpreting all their behaviour as a sign of their `mental illness'. For example Rosenhan told one researcher to write down everything he saw and experienced therefore he kept writing all of the time. The doctors interpreted him as having `writing behaviour' which was seen as a sign of his illness. Rosenham later redid his study in another psychiatric hospital with different researchers however doctors were told that they would be receiving some pseudo patients who were just pretending to be ill. In this study staff routinely judged people who were genuinely ill as just pretending showing that even the experts could not decide who was actually ill.Katz- supports Rosenhan's findings. He carried out an experiment showing groups of American and British psychiatrists films of interviews with patients and asked them to note down what they saw in the patients behaviour as symptoms of mental illness. They were then asked to make a diagnosis. Katz discovered that there were major differences in diagnosis between the British and Americans as the British saw less evidence of mental illness generally. For example 1 patient was diagnosed by 1/3 of American psychiatrists as schizophrenic but by none of the British.Both rosenhan and Katz's studies illustrated that mental illness is a label created by society and is socially constructed.…read more

Slide 6

The mental institute as a total institutionIn 1968 goffman took on a job at an American mental institution as an assistant athletic director and used his position to carry out participant observation observing how the labelling of the mentally ill affected them and their interactions between doctors and nurses. Goffmans research was mainly covert as the majority of staff and patients had no idea he was conducting research. In his research goffman found that asylums are total institutions which aim to shape the personality of patients by taking away their sense of self which goffman called `mortification of self' as the patients were let with little personal possessions and clothing and disciplined by staff. Goffman says that the inmates were treated like children as they had to follow a specific timetable and had to be told when to eat and bathe. The self image that the patient had before such as being funny or intelligent is stripped away leaving them vulnerable. Goffman says the total institution re-constructs the self or personality of the patients by rewarding and punishing them. In this powerless situation any attempts to reject the label of being mentally ill are interpreted as further signs of the mental illness and indicate the need for extra medication or counselling. In fact goffman found that the institutions believed that the first sign of recovery was accepting the role of being mentally ill. Goffman sais that many of the patients became institutionalised as they became over dependent on the routines of the institution and could not survive in the outside world.…read more

Slide 7

Slide 8

Slide 9

Slide 10

Comments

A great summary of mental illness which identifies key concepts and ideas as well as as theorists and criticism. This is a dense but extremely useful resources which can be converted into a format to suit anyone's learning style.

A great summary of mental illness which identifies key concepts and ideas as well as as theorists and criticism. This is a dense but extremely useful resources which can be converted into a format to suit anyone's learning style.